


Secure

by secretkeeper13



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst and Fluff and Smut, Angst with a Happy Ending, Canon Compliant, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Post-War, Shell Cottage (Harry Potter), Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-10
Updated: 2021-01-10
Packaged: 2021-03-14 17:41:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,594
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28674636
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/secretkeeper13/pseuds/secretkeeper13
Summary: Ginny worries about leaving Harry to return to Hogwarts. Harry dreads it too, but for different reasons. A weekend at Shell Cottage together may be just what they need.
Relationships: Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley
Comments: 21
Kudos: 88





	Secure

**Author's Note:**

> This fic references my HBP Christmas fic, Wish, though both are stand-alone pieces. 
> 
> The fic contains some of my head-canon about what happened to Ginny in the Chamber before Harry arrived. In an abundance of caution, please note a potential trigger warning for verbal abuse, similar to Ron and the locket Riddle in DH (but there is no physical or sexual abuse of any kind). 
> 
> Also, this is the first time I’ve written full out smut without a fade to black, which was both difficult and intimidating! Thank you to Dusk for reading it and for your encouragement :) And as always, thank you to everyone who takes the time to read this!

i.

The invitation surprised her a bit. They’d been sitting in the garden after her birthday dinner, still at the table, sipping their drinks and watching the sunset. The sky was ablaze with swirls of burnished red and bright orange, casting a warm glow across the garden. Harry was next to her, his arm draped across the back of her chair, his hand resting on her shoulder, her hand resting on the top of his thigh. Hermione was talking to them from across the table about the short holiday she and Ron were taking with her parents to the Lakes over the weekend. 

“They’re really looking forward to it. I think they missed England this past year. And I wanted to do something with them before we go back to Hogwarts in a few weeks.” 

At the mention of Hogwarts, Ginny felt a flare of anxiety. _It’s still weeks away,_ she told herself firmly, trying to ignore the pit that had developed in her stomach. 

“It’ll be nice to get away for a bit,” Harry said to Hermione, breaking Ginny from her thoughts. She could detect a hint of wistfulness in his tone. She knew how hard he’d been working lately with the Death Eater trials. He’d had to testify in nearly all of them. She gave his leg a slight squeeze with her hand, and he smiled at her. 

“‘Arry and Ginny, you should come visit us at ‘ze cottage this weekend.” 

Surprised, she looked up at Fleur, who was sitting next to Hermione. 

“The weather has been beautiful, and a weekend by the sea would do nicely for you both, I think,” Fleur continued, confidence radiating from her tone, as always.

Ginny looked at Harry to see his reaction to the invitation. He raised an eyebrow and shrugged his shoulder almost imperceptibly, which she understood to mean _why not?_

“Thank you, Fleur; we’d like that. I’ll let Mum and Dad know.”

“Let me know what?” Her mother appeared behind Fleur as suddenly as if she’d apparated.

“Fleur invited Harry and I to stay with them at the cottage this weekend, Mum.” 

“Oh how lovely, dear. It’ll be beautiful there this time of year.” 

She turned to Harry as her Mum bustled back off to the kitchen with an empty platter. “Pack your trunks then, yeah?”

Three days later, they stood at the hearth in the Burrow, Harry holding their overnight bags, and Ginny holding a tin of biscuits she’d made with Mum earlier. 

“Enjoy yourselves now,” her Mum said, hugging them both.

Ginny stepped into the green flames and re-emerged into the whitewashed walls of the sitting room of Shell Cottage, Harry following at her heels. She cast cleansing charms to remove the soot as Fleur and Bill entered from the kitchen.

Fleur embraced them both, kissing them on each cheek. Ginny hugged Bill and handed him the tin of biscuits.

“It’s nice being able to use magic out of school now, isn’t it?” Bill said, his arm still around Ginny. 

“Well, it’s nice to be able to do it legally at least,” Ginny replied with a wink. 

Bill laughed. “Not much for rules in this family, are we?” 

“No,” Harry chimed in. “But I suppose that’s why I get on so well with you lot.” Bill chuckled and ruffled Ginny’s hair. 

“Let me take you upstairs so you can put away your things,” Fleur said, ushering them to the narrow stairwell as Bill took the biscuits into the kitchen. 

They climbed the steep stairs until they reached the landing. Fleur opened the furthest door to the right, revealing a small room with whitewashed walls and a window that looked out over the cliff onto the sea. The window was framed by airy light blue drapes. A double bed with a fluffy, white duvet was in the middle of the wall next to the window. 

“I think you will be comfortable in ‘zis room. The view is very nice.” Fleur said holding the door open for them.

_I take back every time I called her Phlegm,_ Ginny thought, surprised and overjoyed at the prospect of getting to sleep in the same room as Harry for the weekend without the usual sneaking around. 

Harry looked over at her with a confused expression, clearly unsure as to whether they were meant to stay in the room together. 

“Thank you Fleur, this is lovely. Harry, can you bring in the bags please,” Ginny said, trying to give Harry a hint. 

Harry stood in the doorway, still looking puzzled. “Erm, are we both staying in this room?” 

Fleur raised her eyebrow. “Unless you would prefer separate rooms?”

Ginny flashed Harry a look that indicated he’d better not be a noble idiot by passing up a weekend in a shared bedroom. 

“Oh, erm, no, I wouldn’t… I just wanted to make sure it was alright with you and Bill if we stay in the same.” 

“You are both of age now, non? Don’t worry about Bill. He owes Ginny a favor anyhow.” Fleur smiled at her. “I did not forget ‘zat Christmas morning Ginny. What you did was very kind.”

Ginny felt slightly guilty, as she’d gotten five galleons from Bill in exchange for letting him and Fleur have a private moment in her room Christmas morning before last, but she certainly wasn’t going to mention that to Fleur now. 

“I must go finish dinner,” Fleur said. “Come downstairs when you ‘ave unpacked.” She left the room and shut the door. 

Ginny wrapped her arms around Harry, who still looked a bit stunned. “This is a nice surprise, isn’t it?” she murmured into his chest. “For a moment, I thought your stupid nobility was going to ruin it.”

Harry smiled. “It’s got limits. A weekend in a room alone with you....” he said wryly, and then a look of nervousness crossed his face. “But I hope it won’t be awkward with Bill. I don’t want to throw it in your family’s face that we’re… you know.”

Ginny snorted. He was adorably thick sometimes. “Harry, you do realize everyone in the family probably knows we’re shagging, right?” 

“What?” Harry said, looking panicked. “We’ve been so careful. They’ve never caught either of us out of bed.”

“It doesn’t exactly take loads of N.E.W.T.s to figure it out, love. We told them we got together my fifth year, we’ve been inseparable since the war ended, they all know about your near-death experience-“

“Actual death experience,” he interrupted.

“Please don’t remind me. And to top it all off, you’re smiling and looking far too pleased with yourself most mornings. I don’t know if you remember, but you used to look like this,” she screwed up her face into what she thought was a spot-on impression of sulking, broody Harry.

He laughed. “Well, I’ve tried to be discreet, at least.”

“And we have, I’m just telling you, they probably all know.”

He sighed. “Well, hopefully it’s not too awkward with Bill.” 

“It’ll be fine. And like Fleur said, Bill owes me one. Let’s go to dinner.” 

They had a pleasant dinner. Ginny, somewhat apprehensively, tried the Bouillabaisse that Fleur made, but found that she actually quite liked it. Bill and Fleur told them about their trip to France to visit Fleur’s family, and then the conversation turned to Harry’s first Auror mission, which was starting in a few weeks. 

At the mention of summer’s end, a pit formed in Ginny’s stomach, and her mind wandered as Harry spoke. She dreaded leaving him to return to Hogwarts. Last year was miserable, of course, and for reasons far worse than just missing Harry. She tried to tell herself it would be easier this year- they could write to each other, he could visit her on Hogsmeade weekends, and they’d see each other over Christmas- but it didn’t change the fact that they’d be apart again. And this time, Harry would be working at the Ministry, surrounded by throngs of witches who would undoubtedly throw themselves at him, and he would no longer be distracted by fighting a homicidal maniac who wanted to kill him. Meanwhile, she’d be a schoolgirl stuck at Hogwarts- little Ginny, always the youngest- always the one left behind. 

She knew that Harry loved her. She knew that he would never mess her about. But she couldn’t help the fears that crept in the corners of her mind- the fear that another year away from each other would be too difficult, the fear that being apart would result in growing apart. And her darkest fear of all, the one that hid and scuttled in the most shadowed corner of her mind, planted years ago by a silky-voiced stranger who she thought was her friend, was that Harry would realize that in his new, grown-up life, he could do anything he wanted, have any witch he wanted, and decide that he didn’t want her. 

“What do you think, Gin?” Harry’s voice snapped her out of her thoughts.

“Oh um...” She flushed. “What were you saying? I’m sorry, I got distracted by the view.” She motioned to the window by the sink, which looked out over the sea. 

Harry grinned at her. “I was saying I’d like to try to go down to the beach tomorrow at low tide.”

She smiled back. “I’d like that.” 

They finished dinner and then went into the sitting room. Bill poured them wine, and Fleur brought out a tray of cheeses and the biscuits Mum had made. They ate and drank as they chatted and listened to the wireless. At some point, Bill produced an Exploding Snap deck, and they took turns playing against one another, laughing at the explosions and goading the loser to finish their drink. 

Some time later, she sat cross legged on the rug next to the hearth, midway through a game of Exploding Snap with Harry, feeling slightly tipsy and pleasantly warm from the combination of the heat from the fire and the wine, when Bill approached and knelt down next to them on the rug. 

“Alright, you two?”

“Fine thanks, just kicking Harry’s arse.” Bill chuckled as Harry shook his head playfully. 

“We’re going to head up to bed. The windows are charmed so you can leave them open but nothing can get inside, so no need to worry there. Knock on our door if you need anything, alright?”

“Thanks Bill. Goodnight,” Harry replied. 

“Night,” Ginny said, as she kissed Bill on the cheek. 

When he was gone, Ginny looked at Harry from over the cards. “Your move, Potter.”

He smirked at her. “Potter now, is it?” 

“I take thrashing you at Exploding Snap seriously, what can I say?” 

She gazed at him over the cards. The rippling flames from the firelight reflected in his eyes, which were darker than usual.

“I think I should make my next move upstairs,” he said, his voice low, desire evident in his tone. Her stomach fluttered, and she bit her bottom lip. With a swish of her wand, she sent the cards flying neatly back into the box. With a flick of his, he extinguished the fire. 

They climbed the stairs to their room, being careful to tread quietly on the landing. The second the door closed behind them, she heard the click of the locking charm. 

“Muffliato?” she reminded him. 

“Already done,” he said. 

He leaned down and crashed his lips to hers, kissing her passionately, one hand winding into her hair, the other caressing low on her back. He slowly walked her backward until her legs reached the bed, and she lay back, pulling him towards her. 

She reached for the hem of his shirt, but he held her wrist to still her hand. “Wait,” he said. 

She looked at him quizzically, one brow raised, unsure as to why he was stopping her. His cheeks flushed. “It’s just, erm, we’ve got the night…”

She understood him perfectly. “We’ve never had all night together before, have we?” 

He leaned down and kissed her neck, then moved his lips to the shell of her ear and whispered, “No. And I’d planned on taking my time.”

ii 

Harry woke to the sound of crashing waves through the open window. The smell of the damp, salty air of the sea surrounded him. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d slept this well. 

When he opened his eyes, he saw red. Ginny’s blurry figure was on her side in front of him, her long red hair trailing across the pillowcase and down her back. At the Burrow, they were always careful to return to their own rooms afterwards, so they’d never been able to stay a full night and wake up together like this. 

The cottage was quiet and still, the waves in the distance the only sound. He moved closer to her until his bare chest was pressed against her back and wrapped his arm around her middle. He breathed in the salt of the sea air mixed with the scent of flowers from her hair. 

Just as he was about to slip off into sleep again, she stirred. She rolled over in his arms and looked up at him.

“Good morning,” she whispered.

“Morning.” He pushed a strand of hair behind her ear and leaned down to kiss her gently. 

As they broke apart, she murmured, “I like waking up like this.”

He smiled. “Me too.”

“How did you sleep?” she asked. 

“Better than I have in ages. I hope I didn’t thrash about or take the covers?” 

She smiled at him. “No. You do like to cuddle in your sleep though.”

“Don’t tell the Prophet, you’ll ruin my image,” he joked. 

She laughed. “I can see the headline now.” She switched her voice into a scarily accurate impersonation of Rita Skeeter. “The-Boy-Who-Cuddled: The Chosen One’s secret soft side revealed.” 

He grinned at her, then turned and reached for his glasses on the nightstand. He put them on, and her face came into focus, beautiful in the soft morning light. 

Ginny propped herself up on her elbow and sighed. “We probably shouldn’t have a lie in, as much as I’d like to. There’s still tonight at least.”

Harry swallowed as images of last night flashed before him- Ginny on her back, her hands fisted in his hair, writhing, telling him not to stop. Memories of her moving atop him, her hair like fire in the lamp light, his hands roving over her body. His eyes darkened. “Last night was…”

“Amazing,” she interjected, reaching over to ruffle his hair, her pupils wide. 

He smiled bashfully. “I’m glad you enjoyed it as much as I did.” 

She snorted. “Harry, you made me come twice and at one point I was practically begging you not to stop. Enjoyed is an understatement.” 

His cheeks flushed at her praise. He hadn’t ever made her come two times in a row before, and he was more than a bit chuffed about it. 

“We should get up though. You take the shower first, you’ll be quicker.” 

Harry leaned over and kissed her quickly before throwing his dressing gown on and tying it. He slipped his pants off and began to walk towards the door.

“Wait,” called Ginny. Her eyes blazed. 

He raised his eyebrow, “I thought we weren’t having a lie in?”

She waved her wand and he heard the door lock. She stood up and kissed him hard, pushing his back against the wall. She pulled away entirely too soon, he thought.

“We’re not,” she said, then dropped to her knees.

Twenty minutes later, Harry headed downstairs, freshly showered, dressed, and feeling incredibly relaxed. He paused at the kitchen door and tried to arrange his features in a way that it wouldn’t be obvious that Ginny had just given him the most spectacular blow job of his life. He took a deep breath and entered the kitchen.

Thankfully, only Fleur was there, standing at the stove. “Good morning ‘arry. Coffee or tea?” 

“Coffee, please.” He sat down at the table. 

Fleur poured him a cup from the French press on the stove and handed it to him.

“Thank you,” he said, taking a sip. 

“Did you sleep well?” 

“Oh, erm, yes thanks,” he replied, trying not to think about what they’d been doing last night, lest it show on his face.

“It’s lovely to be able to fall asleep to the sound of the waves.” Ginny’s voice sounded from the doorway. Harry looked up gratefully at her. 

“Best part of living by the sea,” Bill said, following Ginny in.

They had a pleasant breakfast together, discussing Hogwarts and Ginny’s plans as Quidditch captain. There was no awkwardness with Bill as Harry had feared. But the discussion about Hogwarts made Harry’s stomach drop.

He knew that Ginny needed to go back to Hogwarts if she wanted to play Quidditch professionally- an extra year of practice, not to mention having the scouts come to see her play at games, would give her the best chance. Yet the thought of spending almost another year apart from her was agonizing. He didn’t know how he would cope when Ginny, the reason for almost all of his newfound happiness, was gone. He’d tried not to think about it, burying his worries down deep in his mind, like he always did, but the first of September crept closer each day, and soon, he knew he would have to face the fact that she would be leaving. 

After breakfast, he and Ginny put on their bathing costumes and trunks and headed out of the cottage. 

They apparated together down to the sandy shore at the bottom of the steep cliff. As soon as they reached the beach and put down their things, she undressed to her bathing costume and ran towards the water, so he followed. The water was ice cold and stung his skin, but Ginny didn’t seem to mind as she kept going deeper, past the breaking waves. 

When the water was just at his waist, she splashed him full on in the face and then tackled him under before he could recover. He emerged spluttering, but laughing, and splashed her back. She laughed, and he pulled her close to him into deeper water. She wrapped her legs around his waist and kissed him deeply. The cold from the water combined with the heat of her mouth caused gooseflesh to prickle all over his skin. When they finally broke apart, they swam back onto shore, freezing and breathing heavily. 

He glanced about to ensure no one was around before he cast warming charms on them both. They put their clothes back on and sat on the sand together beneath a blanket, Ginny between his legs, her back resting on his chest, his arms wrapped around her, as they watched the ebb and flow of the grey blue sea. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been so content. 

“When was the last time you swam?” she asked, her voice soft over the sound of the breaking waves. 

“The day the battle started. When we jumped off the back of the dragon, it was into the middle of a lake, and we had to swim quite a distance to shore.”

She chuckled. “I forgot. And that doesn’t count. The time before that then?”

“With Dumbledore. We had to swim in and out of the cave when we tried to get the locket.”

She turned her head and looked at him over her shoulder, eyebrow raised. 

He continued, a wry grin appearing on his face, “The time before that was in the lake during the Triwizard.”

She shook her head. “Have you ever had a proper swim? For fun?”

“I did a few lengths in the pool in the prefects’ bathroom before the second task when I was trying to work out the clue. It would’ve been nice, I suppose, but...”

“What happened?”

“Moaning Myrtle came in to spy on me.”

“I’m sorry,” Ginny spluttered, half laughing, half indignant. “Do you mean to tell me that Myrtle saw your bits?!”

“Well, she claimed she kept her eyes shut.”

Ginny scoffed. “A likely story. The dirty perv!”

Harry laughed. “Apparently, she’d been spying on the prefects taking baths for some time, but said she’d never come out to talk to anyone before until me.”

“Should I be worried?” she teased, her eyes glinting.

“No, no, by my sixth year she’d moved on,” he deadpanned. 

“To who?”

“Malfoy,” Harry drawled. “He spent a lot of time crying in her toilet that year, you know.”

She laughed. “Well, I guess I won’t have to have words with her then. I wanted to defend your honor, you know.”

“Oh really?”

“Of course. I’m the only one allowed to see your bits.”

“You can do more than just look at them, you know,” he quipped.

She suddenly shifted, deliberately rubbing her arse against him. He stilled her with his arms and tried to hold back a moan.

She looked back at him, her brown eyes twinkling with mirth. “Oh, you didn’t mean right now?” she said, her tone thick with faux innocence. 

Harry laughed and leaned down to kiss her cheek. He was unbelievably happy when he was with her, in ways he didn’t even know were possible. She’d been the only reason he managed to get through those first horrible weeks after the battle. She was the primary source of all the happiness and good in his life, and the thought of being without her for months was unbearable. His brow furrowed as he tried to stop thinking about it. 

“What’s wrong,” she asked.

“Nothing,” he lied, not wanting to ruin their day, which had been perfect so far. “But the wind is picking up and it’s getting chilly. Are you ready to head back?”

She stood, dusting off the sand, and then leaned down to help him up. They apparated back up to the top of the windy cliffs together, the desolate and lonely setting reflecting Harry’s inner thoughts about the future. 

iii

That evening, after dinner and drinks around a bonfire of driftwood under the stars, Ginny undressed and got into bed, waiting for Harry to come in from the loo. They’d had a perfect day, but she felt almost bereft, knowing that in two weeks, they’d be apart for months. 

Harry entered the room and undressed, sliding next to her under the duvet. For a few moments, they simply lay together- naked, legs entwined, her head resting on his chest, his arms wrapped around her. The only sounds were their breathing mixed with the crashing waves. It was peaceful, but her worries about leaving for Hogwarts re-emerged from the corners of her mind in the stillness of the night, invading her contentment.

“What’s wrong,” he asked softly, as he stroked his fingers lightly up and down her back. 

She swallowed. “What makes you think something is wrong?” she asked. She knew she should confide in him what was bothering her, but she didn’t want to blemish their otherwise perfect day. 

“You’re very quiet. It’s not like you,” he continued, still stroking her back soothingly. 

“Is this your polite way of telling me I never shut up?”

He snorted. “Don’t try to change the subject. Something’s bothering you, I can tell.”

She sighed. Her eyes met his in the dim glow of the lamplight. _Here we go_.

“I’m worried about going back to Hogwarts.”

He nodded. “After all that happened there last year, I don’t blame you.” 

“Not just because of what happened last year. I know things will be better there.” She took a deep breath, willing herself to keep going. “I’m worried about being away for so long. From you.” She turned her face into him so that her lips grazed his chest, unable to keep looking at him. 

“Hey,” he said as he cupped her jaw and gently tipped her chin up so he could look at her. “I feel the same. There’s nothing- absolutely nothing- I want more than to be able to be with you like this every day. But Quidditch- Gin, you’re so good. You’ll be scouted for sure if you go back. And I know how much you want to play professionally.” 

“I know,” she said simply. “I know I have to go back. It’s just, you’re going to be working at the Ministry, finishing Auror training, having a real, proper job, your own place, everything. You’re going to be around loads of new people who you can do anything with, and I’ll be stuck at Hogwarts. You’ll have this grown up, adult life without me, and…” she breathed in, willing herself to keep going. “You may decide that the distance and waiting and being apart isn’t worth it.” _You may decide that I’m not worth it,_ she thought, yet she couldn’t bring herself to say it. 

“Ginny,” he said, his tone urgent. “I’d never...”

“I know you think that now, but when we’re apart and your surrounded by other-“

“No.” He cut her off abruptly, and there was a fierceness to his tone that quieted her immediately. “Gin, this, you and me together, it’s the happiest I’ve ever been in my entire life. And I know that doesn’t mean much, given how fucking miserable much of my life has been, but it’s the truth.” 

His tone bordered on frantic as he continued, “And now that I’m used to feeling like this, to being this happy, I don’t know what I’m going to do, how I’m going to function, when you’re back at Hogwarts and not here with me every day. The thought of you leaving- it scares the hell out of me.” 

He exhaled and ran his hand through his dark hair. She stroked his chest gently with her thumb, waiting, because she could tell he had more to say. 

“Good things in my life don’t ever seem to last. People I care about- my parents, Sirius, Remus- they die. And _you-_ you are the best thing that’s ever happened in my entire life. If something were to happen to you, or if I bollocks this, _us_ , up...” he trailed off, swallowing hard. His eyes were shining, like he was holding back tears. “You’re the only person I ever want to be with,” he finished, his voice choked and hoarse.

His words and the emotion in his voice knocked the wind out of her. _How could I have ever felt insecure_? 

“Harry,” she said softly, still stroking his chest. “What happened to your parents, Sirius, Remus- that was all because of him. He’s gone. Nothing is going to happen to me, and I would _never_ leave.” She looked directly into his eyes, needing him to understand. “I love you. So bloody much, Harry, I mean it…”

She felt his body relax at her words, and he leaned down and captured her lips with his. The kiss started out soft, his lips grazing and sliding over hers, but then he cupped her face and deepened the kiss as he rolled her gently onto her back. He moved his lips to her neck, skimming down the sensitive skin of her throat, murmuring “I love you,” as he kissed over her collarbone, and then down further still onto her chest. 

Her fingers threaded into his soft hair as he kissed over her breasts. He took one nipple into his mouth and she gasped, moaning his name as he rolled his tongue and sucked before moving to the other, then back again. Heat pooled between her legs. She could feel him, hard, pressed against her inner thigh, and she whimpered at the contact when he moved. 

“Ginny.. ” his voice was strangled. 

“I want you,” she whispered, knowing what he needed, because she wanted the same. 

He nodded as he reached his hand between her legs and gently stroked her, causing her hips to buck and roll to meet his. 

“I’m ready. Please,” she murmured. 

He entered her slowly. It felt impossibly good, even better than flying. He stilled for a moment, then began to move with slow, deliberate strokes. He took her hands in his, and their fingers laced as they moved together, her body arching to meet him, her legs bracketing his. 

He stared at her reverently. She would never tire of how he looked at her when they made love- like she was the only person in the world, like he couldn’t believe she loved him. Their foreheads touched and she clasped her legs around his waist, wanting to be connected to every part of him, wanting to make him feel how much she loved him. The change in angle made him gasp, and he pulled back slightly, just enough so he could fit one hand in between their bodies to stroke her center. She moaned at the contact. His hand moved in time with his body at first, circling gently, but then his thrusts grew faster and more erratic. 

“You’re beautiful,” he gasped. “I’m.. I’m not going to last.”

“It’s alright,” she whispered. 

Their eyes locked and she felt the tingling hum of pleasure building within her, each thrust taking her closer and closer to the edge, until she tumbled off as she came, her body clenching around him. He pulsed inside her, and collapsed onto her, shuddering, his hands cradling her head, his face buried into the crook of her neck. It was the first time they’d both come together. She wondered how it was possible that every time they did this was better than the last. 

They were both still breathing heavily when he rolled off her. “I’m sorry, I’m just spent. That was...”

“Incredible,” she finished, as they lay naked, their limbs still tangled together. “Apparently, I need to reveal my deepest and darkest insecurities to you more often so you can reassure me with a mind-blowing shag.” 

He chuckled, and stroked his hand through her hair. “Can I ask where this came from though? What made you think I’d ever decide I didn’t want to be with you?” 

She froze. _You need to tell him_. She took a deep breath. 

“It was Tom,” she said bluntly. His arms stiffened around her. 

“When he came out of the diary, before I passed out, he told me….” Her voice trailed off. For a moment, she was back on the rough stone floor of the chamber, weak and alone, as Tom taunted her. She could almost hear his cold voice, mocking her, telling her awful things she’d come to realize were lies, but in the moment, at eleven, she’d believed. 

She closed her eyes, trying to rid herself of the memory. She focused on the warmth of Harry’s chest, the soft touch of his hand through her hair, the sound of his heartbeat. 

She found her voice again. “He told me that you’d never feel for me how I felt about you. That the famous Harry Potter could have any witch he wanted, so why would he want a silly, stupid little girl like me?” Her voice wavered. “And then he laughed. I guess it’s never really left me.” 

Harry gripped her tightly. “Fuck. Ginny, I-“ 

“I know,” she said, cutting him off, hearing the raw fury in his voice, but not wanting to dwell in it. “He was evil. But he’s gone, and I don’t want to talk about him any more.” 

Harry exhaled sharply. She could tell he wanted to say more, that he was still furious, but, as always, he respected her wishes. That was one of the things she loved most about Harry. 

“If you change your mind, you know I’ll listen?” he said, his voice softer, still holding her. 

She nodded. “But right now, I’d much rather discuss more pleasant things, like what we just did.” 

He smiled, “Somehow, it gets better every time, doesn’t it?” 

She smiled back at him, “We get better with practice. It’s like Quidditch.” 

He sighed heavily at the mention of Quidditch, which she knew reminded him of her leaving. “I’m going to be such a miserable wanker without you this year, you know.” 

She smirked, running her hand lightly down his chest. “I will be too. A wanker, that is.” 

He laughed. “I’m going to need you to write to me, in great detail, about that.” 

She winked at him. “I think that could be arranged.” 

The morning arrived too soon, though Ginny was cheered at the prospect of getting to see Teddy as soon as they left. After breakfast with Bill and Fleur, Harry went with Bill to floo the bags back through to the Burrow, while Ginny helped Fleur bring the dishes to the sink. 

“Thank you for inviting us this weekend,” Ginny said, genuinely grateful to Fleur. “We really needed the time away together.” 

“I know,” Fleur replied, giving Ginny a look that a year ago she would’ve said was haughty and smug, but what she now knew was just Fleur’s way. “Being apart this year will be difficult, non? But you both will ‘ave more times like this to look forward to.” 

“We will,” Ginny said with certainty, as Fleur kissed her once on each cheek. 

She entered the sitting room, hugged Bill goodbye, and then took Harry’s hand. “Ready?” she asked.

“Yes, Andromeda’s expecting us.” 

They went outside, admiring the sun rising over the cliffs and the mist from the churning sea below. Harry held out his arm. She took it securely, and with a pop, they disappeared together into the mist. 


End file.
